Franklin Templeton deepens Asia tokenisation expansion with DigiFT

By Parth Prabhudesai

Franklin Templeton has partnered with Singapore-based digital asset exchange DigiFT to expand institutional access to its Benji tokenisation platform across Asia, reflecting growing momentum around tokenised financial products in regulated markets.

Under the partnership, DigiFT will distribute Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform and related tokenised investment products to accredited and institutional investors in the region. Both firms said the collaboration is expected to expand over time as demand for tokenised financial infrastructure continues to grow.

The Benji platform supports tokenised U.S. government securities strategies and includes features such as continuous yield accrual and Franklin Templeton’s patent-pending Intraday Yield mechanism. The platform also enables 24/7 transfers between permissioned wallets and near-instant on-chain settlement, supporting potential use cases in treasury management, payments, collateral management and settlement operations.

The partnership highlights the increasing convergence between traditional asset management and blockchain-based financial infrastructure, particularly as institutional investors seek regulated access to tokenised products.

Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO of DigiFT, said the partnership aligns with the company’s focus on institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure.

“DigiFT was built with a specific conviction: that institutional investors deserve access to the world’s best on-chain financial instruments, through a platform that meets the regulatory standard they require,” he said.

“The partnership with Franklin Templeton reflects that conviction and marks the beginning of a long-term strategic collaboration to bring tokenised solutions to market.”

Chetan Karkhanis, Senior Vice President of Digital Asset Partnership Development at Franklin Templeton, said DigiFT’s regulated infrastructure made it a suitable partner for the expansion.

“DigiFT’s leadership and innovative edge, together with the institutional infrastructure they have built, provides a strong foundation for this partnership,” he said.

DigiFT operates under Capital Markets Services and Recognised Market Operator licences from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and also holds Type 1 and Type 4 licences from the Securities and Futures Commission.

Franklin Templeton launched the first U.S.-registered mutual fund using public blockchain technology for transaction processing and share ownership records in 2021.